Entropy is the idea of unpredictability. It is used to describe unexpected elements.
Redundancy
Redundancy is the predictable and expected elements of a text. It is essential for practical communication as sometimes entropic texts can have an unclear meaning.
- A text arguably contains both entropic and redundant elements in varying degrees. This is also culturally determined as what is highly entropic in one culture may be highly redundant in another.
- The video I am discussing (Helena Beat - Foster The People) has varying levels of these ideas throughout.
The video begins with a high degree of entropy because images of war and destruction are highly unexpected in a music video. The video then continues with a narrative that itself is also highly entropic. The city in the background is destroyed which may be unexpected and shocking to the viewer.
It is a frequent technique throughout the video that a redundant image (for example, the road markings and scenery) is juxtaposed with a more entropic image (the cans and teddy bear tied to the back of the van).
This keeps the audience engaged because we are constantly seeing changing and sometimes shocking images.
The other images featured in the video such as the female swearing at the camera and the kids beating up the main persona should be highly entropic. However, the target audience for this video would be used to these kinds of images and come to expect them from certain artists like Foster The People, this reduces the level of entropy.
Other images within the video have a high level of entropy because they are unpredictable however they portray a concept that is becoming more widely known and predicted within certain cultures. For example, the image of the young boy with a gun is becoming more recognised as problems with war are broadcast more widely within the media however it retains a high degree of entropy as it is shocking to the audience and is unexpected in a music video.
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